This disclosure concerns an invention relating generally to exercise equipment, and more specifically to equipment for assisting in the improvement of athletic agility, balance, coordination, foot speed, and functional movement mechanics.
Agility ladders are athletic training/exercise equipment used to improve speed and agility. They are configured similarly to common ladders wherein rungs are spaced between opposing sets of rails, and are laid out on the ground so that the apertures between the rungs and rails of the ladder define a series of spaces in which an athlete is to step. Different ladder training drills emphasize different rhythms or patterns of steps, jumps, hops, bounds, or combinations of these elements to teach control of the athlete""s center of gravity while in motion, and to improve the athlete""s foot speed and reaction time.
There are two known prior agility ladders. A first prior ladder uses nylon webbing to form both the ladder rails and rungs. The second prior ladder uses nylon webbing to form the rails, and hollow plastic tubing is used for rungs. Both ladders may have their railings folded with their rungs gathered together to collect the ladders for storage purposes. However, they have been found to be highly inconvenient to use insofar as they become twisted and tangled when they are folded for storage, and during later unfolding for use. Additionally, the prior ladders have been found to be easily dislodged during use if a user kicks or steps on a rung or railing, thereby requiring that the ladder be frequently reoriented during use. The ladder made entirely of webbing is too easily dislodged and tangled during use, while the ladder made with round plastic tubular rungs presents a safety problem since the round rungs can easily roll underfoot when stepped on during use.
The invention, which is defined by the claims set forth at the end of this document, is an agility ladder having at least two elongated parallel railings spaced by rungs extending between the railings. The railings are preferably formed of strips of nylon or other fabric material so that they may be easily folded, whereas the rungs are preferably made of a rigid material, such as plastic. The rungs are preferably provided in a substantially planar, bar-like form and are affixed to the railings in such a manner that both the rungs and railings rest substantially flat against the ground when the agility latter is placed in use. The heavier bar-like rungs serve as high-friction weights which help protect the flexible railings from being dislodged when the agility ladder is in use, particularly when the rungs have greater surface area on their major sides, and/or when the rungs have textured surfaces or are rubberized for higher friction.
The rungs are preferably affixed on the railings by inserting each railing within one or more railing apertures formed in each rung, thereby allowing the rungs to be slidably relocated along the railings to vary their spacing. It has been found that where each railing is woven through a pair of railing apertures in each rung, the rungs are resistant to accidental dislodgement or displacement along the railings, but they are still easily relocated along the railings when desired (for example, to change from lateral speed and agility work to straight-ahead acceleration training where athletes must learn to begin with short strides and progress to longer strides as they gain momentum). However, to allow a user to firmly fix the rungs with respect to the railings, locking means for fixing the rungs to the railings may be provided. As an example, a locking aperture may be provided in each rung adjacent to each of the railing apertures. The railing may be situated over the locking aperture, and then a pin or other locking member may be inserted into the locking aperture so that the railing is firmly gripped between the locking member and the rung.
In particularly preferred versions of the agility ladder, the ladder is provided in combination with a handle having an elongated handle shaft protruding therefrom, and the rungs have handle apertures defined therein so that adjacent rungs can be successively received on the handle shaft. A lock may then be provided on the handle shaft to prevent the rungs from sliding off the shaft once they are received thereon; for example, the lock may be provided in the form of a pin which is removably received within an aperture defined on the handle shaft. The handle is preferably configured in the shape of a U, with the handle shaft forming one arm of the U and a grip section forming the other arm of the U, so that a user may grasp the grip section of the handle with one hand while using the other hand to collect rungs on the handle shaft.
The agility ladder preferably bears fasteners (such as male and female snap connectors) located along the lengths of its railings so that multiple agility ladders can be affixed together in various configurations (e.g., in straight lines, at right angles to each other, or in even more complex paths).
Further advantages, features, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the associated drawings.